


A Clan of Two

by perseajackson



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Found Family, Other, about a mandalorian and her foundling, as her foundling gets her first helmet, v sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25950154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perseajackson/pseuds/perseajackson
Summary: Ever since Njolla Vizsla took in little Zoa Nordrayn as her foundling, she's sworn on her life to protect the kid at all costs, whether she takes the Creed or not. She won't fail her, not like she failed her siblings.And yet, now, as Zoa prepares to begin officially joining the Mandalorians, Njolla... worries.





	A Clan of Two

**Author's Note:**

> Njolla's name is pronounced: ny-AHL-lah, or for a different take, ñ-AHL-lah. nyalluh. it's pronounced like that.

Njolla… was worried. 

She'd had little Zoa Nordrayn as her ward- her  _ foundling _ \- for almost six months now. The Nite Owls were thriving after the final separation from Death Watch, and she felt selfish and guilty for being grateful to have Zoa as a distraction from everything with Jo… and Essek… and her whole family… and everything, really. She hadn't had a drink in a while, and even with Zoa to take care of, she was starting to feel itchy, craving the rush and breezy numbness from the alcohol. 

But she refused to fall into that again so long as she was taking care of Zoa. Whom she was currently worried about.

She wasn't technically old enough yet to become anything properly, but a week ago, she'd told Njolla that she wanted to stay with her, with the Mandalorians, and learn their ways so that she could properly accept this as her new life and begin to heal and find her new path. Njolla explained that it would be difficult and physically taxing and that she'd have to wait till she was of age, about two more years, to officially take the Creed of being Mandalorian. Apparently Nabooians were considered adults at fourteen as well, so she accepted without any hesitance.

And Njolla was worried Zoa felt pressured. That she felt like Njolla wouldn't take care of her or care about her at all if she didn't become Mandalorian. In reality, Njolla had already steely sworn to herself that she wouldn't fuck it up with Zoa. She'd failed Essek, and she'd failed Jo. She refused to fail another child, Zoa, or anyone else who needed her.

Zoa insisted that she wanted to begin Mandalorian training for herself. "I don't have anyone else, Njolla," she'd said in her quiet little voice. Njolla thought back to the family friends Zoa had told her about that and how, after Njolla informed her that part of Njolla’s responsibility was to either raise Zoa until she came of age or return her to her people, Zoa had told her she couldn’t stand to go back to Naboo without her family and would prefer to stay with Njolla (which had definitely made Njolla more emotional than she was prepared for.) "You saved me… You Mandalorians have been kind to take care of me. If I stay with you, the least I can do is learn more about and embrace your culture."

"Yes, but you don't  _ have _ to if you find that it doesn't suit you," Njolla had insisted, kneeling before Zoa, who sat at the dining table idly intertwining her fingers. Her brown eyes met Njolla's and the Mandalorian said, "I will protect you and take care of you as long as you need me, Zoa, I swear this to you. We are very different from Nabooians. I won't ever ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

And Zoa had smiled and turned so that she was facing her elder and reached over to take Njolla's hand. "You're very kind, Njolla. I'm really lucky you found me."

Njolla had definitely started tearing up after that, accepting Zoa's following words that she felt like going with Mandalorian tradition and allowing herself to be trained by them felt right to her.

And now Njolla stood by and watched as the armourer placed Zoa's helmet onto her head, and her entire body felt more warm, fuzzy, and anxious than any amount of liquor could ever do to her. Zoa knelt with her back straight and allowed the armourer's hands to linger on the helmet before drawing away.

"How does it feel?" she asked Zoa.

Njolla watched, seeing her ward from a back three-quarters profile, as Zoa tilted her head up, then shifted side to side as she weighed its balance, and then nodded once. 

"Good. It feels right," Zoa said, her little voice amplified only slightly by the filter in the helmet.

Njolla was using every last measure of willpower she had not to cry (since when had she become such a  _ cryer?! _ ) because she didn't want to have to take her helmet off to clean herself up during the ceremony. But the pride and happiness and anxiety swelling in her chest was hitting every emotional button she had and about a thousand more she'd never known existed. 

"Good. It suits you," the armourer said, and Njolla heard a smile in her voice. Gri Kal'vod had been the armourer who made Njolla's first set of armour, too, and despite their large age difference, Njolla had always considered her a close friend. To have Gri make the helmet for her foundling… Oh boy, the tears were really fighting her, now.

Zoa shifted and turned towards Njolla more, her head tilting a little again. "What do you think?" she asked, and Njolla picked up subtle excitement in her tone. She was really getting good at catching Zoa's little vocal inflections by now.

Njolla nodded a few times, looking over the helmet and feeling such pride. Zoa had even designed it herself- the whole thing was simple, but uniquely hers. She'd opted for a standard T-visor, with the cheek hollows a bit flatter than would usually be forged. The side panels were a little slim and rounded at the comms node.

"I think she's crying under there," Gri said unhelpfully.

"No!! I'm just- I'm a little overwhelmed is all!!" Njolla said indignantly. 

"So you… think it's good?" Zoa asked, reaching up to touch the helmet in a few places, dragging her fingers across the fresh, sleek surface.

"I think it's perfect," Njolla said as she knelt down next to Zoa.

“I can hear it in her voice- she’s choking up!” Gri persisted with a teasing tone.

“Listen, can you  _ blame _ me?!” Njolla said, throwing her arms up and then putting her hands on her hips for a half second before then gesturing to Zoa. “Look at her, Gri! Tell me she doesn’t look perfect!” Gri laughed and shrugged in agreeance, and Njolla turned back to Zoa, putting her hands on either side of the new helmet and leaning forward to bump her forehead to Zoa’s.

“I still have to paint it,” Zoa said with a little laugh, and Njolla couldn’t help the chuckle from her own lips. 

“Yeah, yeah, ad’ika, I’ll get you your paints later,” she teased, pulling back and settling her hands on her foundling’s shoulders. “I’m just… I’m so proud of you, Zoa.”

Zoa hesitated, and then wrapped her arms around Njolla’s neck, clumsily bumping their helmets again as she pulled Njolla in for a tight hug. “Thanks, Njolla.  _ Kar’taylir _ ,” she said, and Njolla felt the tears finally break through as Zoa used Mando’a, amusement and fondness and pride all stabbing her heart with a blunt knife of adoration as her foundling mispronounced the word. She loved this kid so much.

“Kar’tayli darasuum,” Njolla returned with a sniffle and a chuckle.

**Author's Note:**

> (does a little dance) i wuv them heehee
> 
> i'll post another fic about njolla and zoa and describe their relationship more another day!!


End file.
